same? You want what he wants.”
“What is that?”
“Power. Do you deny it?”
“Yes, I already have more than enough power to suit me.” He saw the flicker of expression on her face. “That’s what you fear, isn’t it? You think I’ll use my power to make you give me the Jedalar.”
“I’m not afraid.” She met his skeptical gaze and said, “And of course you will use any weapon you have. Mama told me there would come a time when everyone would do whatever they had to do to claim it. She said that unless I-”
“What?” he asked after she broke off.
“Never mind. It’s of no consequence.”
His gaze narrowed on her face. “I believe it may be of the utmost consequence.”
She tried to distract him from that slip of the tongue. “She was right, wasn’t she? There’s nothing you wouldn’t do to get it.”
He nodded wearily. “Yes, she was right.” He changed the subject. “Where’s Alex?”
“Gregor took him to meet the captain.”
“Have you both had your breakfast?”
“Yes.”
He smiled mockingly. “You see how concerned I’m being? The perfect guardian of innocent children.”
“I told Gregor it was a ridiculous idea. You have none of the qualities of a guardian.”
“I agree, but Gregor is adamant. So it seems we must all comply.”
“Why?” she asked with sudden curiosity. “What is Gregor to you?”
“My friend.”
“He says he takes care of you.”
“He did at one time. But then, Gregor takes care of everyone. It’s his nature.” He looked out to sea and asked suddenly, “Do you play chess?”
She looked at him in bewilderment. “Yes, I used to play with my father.”
“And are you adequate at the game?”
“No, I’m not adequate. I’m very good.”
He laughed, his face alight with amusement. “My apologies. I meant no insult. It’s my curse that I cannot bear to play with novices.”
“I’m not a novice. After the first year of play I bested Papa all the time.”
“Let us hope I’m better than Papa.”
“You wish me to play chess with you?”
“It will while away the time. It will take us weeks to get to England, and sea voyages can be stultifying.”
“Then play with Gregor.”
“Gregor refuses to learn the game. He gets too restless.”
“I’d think you would suffer the same malady.”
“On the contrary, I can be very patient-if the prize is worth the game.” He said softly, “And I think you would be an excellent opponent. You have a single-mindedness that bodes well for the match.”
“I have no time for games. I have to take care of Alex.”
“Ah, yes, your duty to the men of your family. I believe Gregor would be willing to watch over the child.” He shifted his gaze to her face. “Doesn’t the idea appeal to you? Think of it. You have a chance of humiliating me over the board and seeking out every weakness.”
In her present state of dependency that prospect was very tempting. “And give you an opportunity to do the same to me.”
“True, but I don’t think you’d be afraid to meet that challenge.” He smiled. “And it will keep you from going mad with boredom. I judge you’re not one who can stand being without a task to do. Will you join me in the master cabin in an hour?”
He was right. She was accustomed to working from dawn to dusk, and this journey would become excruciatingly tedious if she had nothing to do but look out at that blue sea.
“Continuing to be so wary of me will be both exhausting and uncomfortable for you,” Jordan said, sensing her wavering. “Propinquity brings a certain… acceptance.”
“Tolerance,” she substituted.
“If you wish to be blunt.”
“I wish to be blunt.” She frowned. “If I come, I won’t answer any of your questions.”
“Then how can we become acquainted?”
“I’ll ask
“A very one-sided arrangement.”
“Or we will not talk at all.”
“But I’m a shallow fellow who cannot bear long silences.”
She snorted. He was as shallow as this sea around them.
“That was very unladylike. I don’t believe I’ve ever heard one of the females of my acquaintance make such a monstrous sound.”
She stared at him uncertainly. His eyes were glinting with mischief. “You’re… teasing me.”
“How clever of you to recognize, if not respond. Don’t you ever smile?” He held up his hand. “Never mind, I’ll regard it as another challenge.”
“I’ve had little to smile about of late, Your Grace.”
An undefinable expression flickered on his face. “I realize that, but perhaps it’s time to start again. Now, you seem determined to address me with the respect due me. Is it that you think I’m your superior because of my birth?”
“You’re not my superior. Respect should be earned, not given. What have you done to deserve my respect? Have you created a beautiful panel of glass? Have you painted a wonderful picture?”
“Not lately,” he said mildly. “Since I’m so low on your scale of worthiness, don’t you think it’s absurd to address me by any but my given name?”
It was a small concession that would put them on a more equal footing, a status she desperately needed. “Jordan,” she said tentatively.
“Much better. By the way, you’re quite charming in that gown, Marianna.”
Charming? Was he teasing again? She looked down at the high-waisted white gown she wore. Probably. The garment was a little large and, even if it had fit better, she still wouldn’t have been able to fill out the bodice. “You’re going to see a good deal of it. It’s the only ready-made gown Gregor was able to find in Domajo.”
“I won’t get tired of it. I’ve always been fond of white.”
“My father liked white too,” she said absently.
“Did he? Then my taste is undoubtedly validated.” He turned and sauntered away from her. “Though I take umbrage at being compared in any way to your father. Being a guardian is bad enough.”
She gazed after him thoughtfully. A steely edge shimmered beneath the lightness of his tone, and she realized he disliked the position Gregor’s lie had put them in as much as she did. She would have to remember that tiny break in his armor. It was a weapon she couldn’t ignore, when she had so few.
The design on the panel of glass was very simple, the daffodils painstakingly executed. Yet it clearly lacked the skillful touch of a mature artisan.
“You found this in the cottage?” Zarek Nebrov held the small panel up to the light and then tossed it on the table. “It’s nothing. This crudeness has nothing to do with the Window to Heaven. You’ve brought me
Marcus Costain protested, “I’ve brought you the information about the girl and her brother.”
“They could be dead now.” Nebrov strode over to the window and looked down into the courtyard. “You should have found out sooner about the children. We could have used them to make the woman talk.”
“You were in a great hurry that night,” Costain said impassively.
And in a fury of frustration about that stupid shattering of the Window at Talenka. He had almost lost everything, and the stupid woman had refused to reveal what he needed to know. If he hadn’t been so angry, he would have brought the woman with him and wrested the information at his leisure. He would never have permitted
